About Us

 

Making the World a Better Place For All of Us

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Our Story

As citizens living among the mountains and high valleys of Colorado, we see firsthand the degradation of natural resources that sustain our vital sources of clean water. This affects our communities and our way of life, along with all downstream communities.

While government agencies have addressed some concerns, significant challenges remain. Unfortunately, the current political climate undermines government efforts to protect and restore vital land and water resources. With population reaching a tipping point and climate change accelerating, this regressive leadership could not have come at a worse time.

To address these threats, we are pushing forward to marshal private-sector support for protecting, restoring and enhancing our headwaters resources. As the late Colorado Poet Laureate Thomas Hornsby Ferril wrote, “Here is a land where life is written in water.” Decisive action is necessary to ensure future chapters of life on this land.

We hope you will join us in writing a better story of life in Colorado by donating whatever you can – time, money, expertise – to help ensure a lush future for our vital resources.

Colorado Headwaters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so your donation is fully tax-deductible.

What We Do

Wetlands Protection

 

Wetlands restoration

 

Political Advocacy

 

Coalition Building

 

With your help,
we are protecting
Colorado’s future

As Colorodo Poet Laureate Thomas Hornsby Ferril wrote, “Here is is a land where life is written in water.” In the arid climate of Colorado, our future depends upon water. As THE U.S. headwaters state, Colorado gets all of its water from local sources – precipitation and groundwater. And virtually all of Colorado’s water originates in the headwaters region. By protecting and restoring Colorado’s headwaters ecosystems, we are protecting Colorado’s future.

Protecting Homestake Creek Wetlands

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Healthy headwaters support sustainable agriculture

Principals

An avid outdoorsman, Jerry Mallett is the founder and president of Colorado Headwaters. Jerry has compiled 50-plus years of experience with local, regional, national and international elected officials, government agencies and citizen groups to achieve productive solutions to environmental, social and economic issues. As executive director of Western River Guides Association, Jerry developed and funded the association’s annual budget through various programs, corporate grants and nonprofit foundations. Jerry also served as western field representative for The Wilderness Society and development director for funding Western U.S. field representatives. He was also a founding member of American Rivers, where he served on the board of directors for 25 years.

The host for the Colorado Headwaters documentary is Sally Ranney is our vice president. A passionate environmentalist, Sally has been active in environmental issues for the past 35 years. She serves on a variety of boards, including the Climate Accountability Institute and the Bonobo Conservation Initiative. She is president and co-founder of the American Renewable Energy Institute, Women’s Earth and Climate Network and Earth Restoration Alliance. She is the corporate executive officer of Stillwater Preservation, LLC, and president and founder of Rising Wolf International.

Bill Dvorak, Colorado Headwaters field organizer, has been an avid environmentalist all his life and served as public lands organizer for the National Wildlife Federation from 2006 through 2017. Bill played a key role in the passage of HB-1298, the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act and HB-1341, which designated more diverse and well-rounded representation on the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Bill was also the first licensed river outfitter in Colorado.

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A HUGE IMPACT